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Thursday, October 2, 2008

Okay, so this is a little embarrassing: back in July, Rhinoa tagged me for a book meme that looks like a whole lot of fun, and somehow I never got around to it. Pathetic, I know. But hey, it's not like she gave me a deadline or anything. :-) So now that the girls are back in school and I am back in my favorite cozy spot on the chaise part of the sofa with my laptop keeping my legs nice and warm, I thought I'd have a go!

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?I remember the actual moment I figured out how the letters fit together to make words! From there on out, I was hooked. I loved having my parents read to me, and I loved reading by myself. There were times in my childhood when things were a bit tough, and reading took me away and gave me other worlds to live in - and a fresh perspective on things when I came back.

What are some books you read as a child? The ones that I loved so much that I still reread them occasionally are A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle, The Secret Garden by Burnett, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, The Ghost in the Swing by Janet Patton Smith, and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsinger books.

What is your favorite genre? Definitely fantasy.

Do you have a favorite novel? There are too many wonderful ones out there to choose from!

Where do you usually read? It's probably better to ask where I don't read, and the only answer to that would probably be in the dark! My favorite reading spot is on the chaise end of the couch in our family room. And the Love Sac is a pretty good place, too, especially because that thing is a cat magnet, and before I know it I've got some cozy cats snuggled up with me!

When do you usually read? After I drop the kids off at school, I come home for my daily "respite:" my breakfast, a cup of coffee, and whatever book I'm reading. Ahh. Then I read whenever I can fit it in during the rest of the day - and I listen to audio books when I run, walk the dog, drive around, etc. Yes, I'm an addict!

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? I used to do that, then I found I ended up tossing the less appealing one by the wayside and forgetting about it till so much time had passed that I'd have to start all over again. So I now try to give every book a fair chance (i.e., at least 50 pages), and I tend to go one at a time. Although I always have an audio book going along with whatever I happen to be reading.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? I'm not a huge nonfiction reader, as you might be able to tell if you take a look at the books I review! I do enjoy the occasional memoir, and pretty much anything food related. I read more nonfiction before I started graduate school, and I have a feeling that when I finish (in the spring, if all goes well!) I will go back to reading more of it.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? I hardly ever buy books for myself anymore, although I own so many that there are never enough book shelves! Now that I work in a library, it seems ludicrous to me to buy anything I can borrow. I do buy lots of books for my girls, though - it's hard to resist those children's books (not to mention the school book fairs!).

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them? If I love them, I keep them. If not, I either release them through Bookcrossing , which is a lot of fun, or I donate them to my library's booksale (or the collection, if we can use them).

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child? The ones we've read together that I loved as a child include books by E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Ray Bradbury, Edward Eager, Madeleine L'Engle, Roald Dahl, and Natalie Babbitt. New favorites include Charles de Lint, J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke and Kate DiCamillo.

What are you reading now?M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman (but I just got my copy of The Graveyard Book today!). I'm listening to Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix.

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? Yes. It's so long it's embarrassing. I doubt I'll live long enough to read all the books on there, unless maybe I stop adding new ones and live to be very, very old. Oh, well - it's all about the journey, isn't it?

What’s next? Definitely The Graveyard Book.

What books would you like to reread? Lately I've been thinking about rereading Diana Wynne Jones's books and the Chronicles of Prydain.

That was fun! Thanks for tagging me, Rhinoa, and sorry it took so long! I believe this once bounced around quite a bit between then and now, so as far as who to tag for this, I think I will ask some of my blogging buddies who don't write as much about books in their blogs, namely Virginia Gal, Molly Malone and Devinoni, if you are at all interested. I'd love to read your responses! And to anyone more firmly ensconced in the book-blogosphere who hasn't done this, please do if you're at all inclined. I'd love to hear what you have to say!